SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core Ultra 5 135U + Intel Arc A550M

Get a comprehensive performance analysis of your gaming rig with detailed benchmarks, bottleneck detection, and upgrade recommendations

91 / 100
ULTIMATE READY

Apex Performer

Top 9% of systems. Capable of 4K Ultra gaming and advanced rendering.

4K 60+ FPSVR ReadyRay Tracing

System Balance Analysis

CPU vs GPU performance ratio
Well Balanced
CPU
86%
VS
GPU
96%
PROCESSOR

Intel Core Ultra 5 135U

22,618 Benchmark Score
Top 14% Market Ranking
View Full Specs →
GRAPHICS CARD

Intel Arc A550M

49,737 Benchmark Score
Top 4% Market Ranking
View Full Specs →

Market Position

How your build compares to others
Budget
0-30
Mid-Range
30-60
High-End
60-85
Enthusiast
85-100
Your Build

Game Performance Benchmarks

Real-world 4K FPS in popular titles
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Performance Insights

Tips to maximize your system

Optimal Performance

Your system is in the top tier. You can run any modern game at maximum settings.

4K Gaming Ready

Consider a 4K 144Hz monitor to fully utilize your hardware capabilities.

Compatible Games See what you can play Compare CPUs Find upgrades Compare GPUs Find upgrades

Performance Tiers Explained

90-100

Ultimate

4K Ultra gaming, VR ready, ray tracing enabled, professional workloads

4K 60+ FPS VR Ready
70-89

High-End

1440p Ultra or 4K High settings, excellent for modern AAA titles

1440p Ultra 4K High
50-69

Mid-Range

1080p Ultra or 1440p Medium, great value for most gamers

1080p Ultra 1440p Med
30-49

Entry Level

1080p Medium settings, suitable for eSports and older titles

1080p Med eSports
0-29

Legacy

Basic gaming, older titles, consider upgrading for modern games

720p-1080p Low Older Games

This is a laptop configuration pairing the Intel Core Ultra 5 135U processor with the Intel Arc A550M graphics solution. The benchmark data provides a clear picture of a system designed for balanced productivity and capable 1080p-class gaming, though it is not a top-tier enthusiast platform. The CPU delivers strong multi-threaded performance for its power class, while the GPU offers discrete-level graphics performance that significantly boosts the system beyond typical integrated graphics. The combined percentile rank of 81 indicates this pairing sits comfortably above the majority of laptop configurations in the database. The data for this exact combination contains no measured frame rate rows, so all gaming performance discussion is estimated from the individual component benchmark scores rather than direct testing of this specific pairing.

Gaming Performance

Since the FACT PACK contains no measured FPS data for this exact CPU and GPU combination, all gaming performance figures discussed here are estimates derived from the Arc A550M's benchmark scores and its position relative to known GPUs. The GPU's average benchmark score of 49737 and its 86th percentile ranking among all GPUs suggest it is well-suited for 1080p gaming at high settings in most titles. The Arc A550M's performance, as indicated by its nearest rivals, places it in the company of the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, which it trails by only 2.6 percent, and ahead of the Radeon RX 6800 XT's score of 48477 by a similar margin. This level of performance indicates that the GPU can handle demanding games at 1080p with high detail settings, and it may also manage 1440p gaming in less graphically intensive titles or with some settings adjustments.

The Arc A550M's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for 1080p texture-heavy workloads but could become a limiting factor at higher resolutions or with maximum texture quality settings in the most demanding modern games. The GPU's 16 ray tracing cores and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate suggest it can handle ray-traced effects, though the 8.397 TFLOPS of FP32 performance indicates that fully ray-traced workloads at high settings will likely require lowering resolution or using performance-preserving upscaling technologies. The GPU's 86th percentile ranking means it outperforms the vast majority of laptop GPUs in the database, making it a strong choice for a mobile gaming system.

For esports titles and competitive games, the combination of the Core Ultra 5 135U's strong single-thread performance and the Arc A550M's raw graphics power should deliver frame rates well above 60 FPS at 1080p with competitive settings. The CPU's 1563 score in Cinebench R23 single-core and 3343 in Passmark single-thread tests indicate it can keep up with the GPU in CPU-bound scenarios common in esports. For AAA single-player games, the estimated performance suggests high settings at 1080p will be achievable, with the potential for 1440p at medium settings in many titles. Users should expect the GPU to be the primary determinant of gaming performance, as its percentile ranking at 86 is considerably higher than the CPU's 76th percentile, indicating the graphics solution is the stronger component in this pairing for gaming workloads.

Benchmark Performance

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135U achieves an average benchmark score of 22618, placing it in the 76th percentile of all CPUs in the database. This score puts it in direct competition with several established mobile processors, including the Intel Core i5-12500H which scores 22625 with a zero percent delta, and the AMD Ryzen 5 7535U which scores 22791, a 0.8 percent advantage for the AMD part. The Ultra 5 135U also edges out the Intel Core i7-1270P which scores 22502, a 0.5 percent deficit, and the Intel Core i5-13500H at 22468, a 0.7 percent deficit. This clustering indicates the Ultra 5 135U delivers performance that is essentially on par with a wide range of mid-range and upper-mid-range mobile processors from both Intel and AMD.

In multi-threaded workloads, the CPU scores 9315 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 5934 in Cinebench R20 multicore, while the Passmark multithread score reaches 17359. These results suggest a capable multi-threaded performer for a 15-watt TDP processor, capable of handling productivity tasks and moderate content creation workloads. The single-thread performance is comparatively strong for its power class, with Cinebench R23 single-core scoring 1563 and Passmark single-thread scoring 3343, ensuring responsive day-to-day operation and solid performance in lightly-threaded applications.

The Intel Arc A550M GPU presents a very different performance profile. With an average benchmark score of 49737, it ranks in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, a notably higher position than the CPU's 76th percentile. The GPU's Geekbench OpenCL score of 49894 and Vulkan score of 49580 demonstrate consistent performance across different compute APIs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti with a score of 49957, a 0.4 percent deficit, and the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 at 50001, a 0.5 percent deficit. The GPU also compares favorably to the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, which scores 50951, a 2.4 percent advantage for the AMD flagship, while the Arc A550M holds a 2.6 percent advantage over the Radeon RX 6800 XT's score of 48477.

The combined picture shows a system where the GPU is the stronger component relative to its respective market position. The GPU's 86th percentile ranking versus the CPU's 76th percentile indicates that the graphics solution is a more exceptional performer within its category. This imbalance suggests the pairing favors graphics-intensive workloads, while CPU-bound tasks will see performance more in line with the mid-range mobile processor segment.

Balance and Bottleneck

The benchmark data reveals a clear performance hierarchy within this pairing, with the GPU positioned as the dominant component. The Arc A550M's 86th percentile ranking against all GPUs significantly outstrips the Core Ultra 5 135U's 76th percentile against all CPUs, indicating that in most workloads the GPU will be the component that finishes its task first, potentially waiting on the CPU to deliver data. This dynamic is particularly relevant in gaming scenarios where frame rates are often limited by the CPU's ability to process game logic and issue draw calls, though the Ultra 5 135U's respectable single-thread performance helps mitigate this potential bottleneck.

In gaming workloads, the CPU's single-thread performance, evidenced by the 1563 Cinebench R23 single-core score and 3343 Passmark single-thread score, should be sufficient to feed the GPU in most titles at 1080p. However, in CPU-intensive games with complex physics or large numbers of NPCs, the 12-core, 14-thread Ultra 5 135U may become the limiting factor, particularly when the GPU is capable of rendering frames faster than the CPU can calculate game state. The GPU's 8.397 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 262.4 GTexel/s texture rate provide substantial rendering headroom that could exceed the CPU's capabilities in certain scenarios.

For productivity and content creation workloads, the balance shifts depending on the application. In heavily multi-threaded CPU tasks like video encoding or 3D rendering, the CPU's 9315 Cinebench R23 multicore score and 17359 Passmark multithread score will be the primary determinant of performance, with the GPU's compute capabilities playing a secondary role. Conversely, in GPU-accelerated tasks such as rendering with ray tracing or GPU-based effects, the Arc A550M's 16 ray tracing cores and 2048 shading units will take precedence, and the CPU's role becomes supporting the GPU with data preparation. The data indicates a system that is well-balanced for general use but leans toward GPU-bound performance in graphics-intensive scenarios, with the CPU potentially limiting peak frame rates in less demanding games or at lower resolutions where the GPU has spare capacity.

Usage Scenarios

High-refresh gaming: This system is well-suited for 1080p high-refresh gaming in esports and competitive titles, with the Arc A550M's 86th percentile GPU ranking providing sufficient power to drive high frame rates. The CPU's 3343 Passmark single-thread score ensures responsiveness in CPU-bound game logic, though users targeting the highest refresh rates in the most demanding titles may find the CPU a limiting factor.

Streaming: The combination of a 12-core CPU and a discrete GPU with hardware encoding capabilities makes this a viable streaming platform. The CPU's 17359 Passmark multithread score provides headroom for encoding and overlays, while the GPU's strong compute performance ensures game rendering remains smooth. The 8 GB of VRAM is sufficient for game capture buffers and streaming software overhead.

Video editing: The CPU's multi-threaded performance, with a 9315 Cinebench R23 multicore score, handles video encoding and timeline processing competently. The GPU's 8.397 TFLOPS of FP32 performance accelerates effects and color grading, while the 8 GB GDDR6 memory provides adequate capacity for 1080p and moderate 4K editing workflows. The 224.0 GB/s memory bandwidth supports efficient data movement during render operations.

3D rendering: The Arc A550M's 16 ray tracing cores and 2048 shading units provide hardware acceleration for ray-traced rendering workloads, while the CPU's 12 cores handle geometry processing and scene preparation. The 21,700 million transistors on the DG2-512 chip deliver substantial compute throughput, though users should expect render times to be competitive with mid-range mobile GPUs rather than desktop-class performers.

Software development: The CPU's strong single-thread performance, evidenced by the 1563 Cinebench R23 single-core score, ensures fast compilation of single-threaded build steps, while the 12 cores accelerate parallel builds. The 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support provide responsive system performance for development tools and virtual machines.

Student and office work: The 15-watt TDP CPU ensures efficient operation for battery-conscious workloads, while the integrated Arc Xe-LPG 64EU graphics provide sufficient display output for productivity tasks. The GPU's presence adds capability for light photo editing or presentation graphics that exceed integrated graphics limits, making this a versatile system for academic and professional use.

CPU Analysis

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135U is a 12-core, 14-thread mobile processor built on Intel's Meteor Lake architecture using a 7 nm process node. The base clock of 1600 MHz boosts up to 4.40 GHz, providing a wide frequency range that balances efficiency with performance demands. The 15-watt TDP classifies this as an ultra-low-power processor designed for thin and light laptops, yet the core configuration delivers performance that rivals higher-power parts.

The CPU's architecture features a hybrid core design that optimizes power efficiency, with the cache hierarchy including 112 KB of L1 cache per core, 2 MB of L2 cache per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache. This cache configuration supports the processor's ability to handle diverse workloads, from latency-sensitive single-threaded tasks to data-intensive multi-threaded operations. The memory support for DDR5 with dual-channel configuration provides 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for the CPU's requirements and supports the integrated Arc Xe-LPG 64EU graphics when the discrete GPU is not in use.

The benchmark results place this CPU firmly in the mid-range mobile segment. The 76th percentile ranking against all CPUs means it outperforms three-quarters of the processors in the database, a strong result for a 15-watt part. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 9315 and Passmark multithread score of 17359 demonstrate that the 12-core configuration provides substantial multi-threaded throughput, while the 1563 Cinebench R23 single-core score and 3343 Passmark single-thread score indicate strong per-core performance for a low-power processor. The Passmark data compression score of 196712 and data encryption score of 12195 show the CPU handles data-intensive tasks efficiently, while the extended instructions score of 11144 and floating point math score of 41232 indicate solid computational capability for scientific and engineering applications.

GPU Analysis

The Intel Arc A550M is based on the DG2-512 chip using the Xe-HPG architecture, manufactured on a 6 nm process by TSMC. The chip contains 21,700 million transistors on a 406 mm² die, with a transistor density of 53.4 million per square millimeter. This substantial chip provides 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operation pipelines, delivering 8.397 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 16.79 TFLOPS of FP16 performance with a 2:1 ratio.

The GPU operates with a base clock of 900 MHz and boosts to 2050 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz or 14 Gbps effective. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is a balanced configuration for the GPU's compute capabilities. The pixel rate of 131.2 GPixel/s and texture rate of 262.4 GTexel/s indicate the GPU can sustain high-resolution rendering with complex textures. The 16 ray tracing cores provide dedicated hardware for ray-traced lighting and effects, supporting the DirectX 12 Ultimate API along with OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4.

The GPU's benchmark performance places it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, with an average score of 49737. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 49894 and Vulkan score of 49580 show consistent performance across compute APIs. The GPU's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, which holds a 0.4 percent advantage, and the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64, which leads by 0.5 percent. The Arc A550M also compares well against AMD's high-end desktop parts, trailing the Radeon RX 6900 XT by 2.4 percent while leading the Radeon RX 6800 XT by 2.6 percent. This level of performance indicates the GPU is capable of handling demanding gaming and compute workloads, though the 60-watt TDP suggests it operates within a power envelope suited for larger laptops rather than ultra-portables.

Who Should Build It

This configuration targets users who need a balance of CPU efficiency and discrete GPU performance in a laptop form factor. Gamers playing at 1080p with high settings will find the Arc A550M's 86th percentile GPU ranking provides ample performance for modern titles, with the 8 GB VRAM supporting high-resolution textures. The system is particularly well-suited for gamers who also need productivity capability, as the CPU's 76th percentile ranking ensures smooth multitasking and content creation alongside gaming.

Content creators working with video and photo editing will benefit from the combination of the CPU's 12 cores and the GPU's compute capabilities. The 9315 Cinebench R23 multicore score handles video encoding efficiently, while the GPU's 8.397 TFLOPS accelerates effects and rendering. The 8 GB GDDR6 memory provides sufficient capacity for editing timelines and effect previews. Software developers will appreciate the CPU's strong single-thread performance for compilation tasks and the 12-core configuration for parallel builds, with the 12 MB L3 cache supporting code and data locality.

Students and professionals requiring a versatile laptop for coursework, office applications, and light creative work will find this configuration capable. The 15-watt CPU ensures efficient battery operation for all-day use, while the discrete GPU adds capability for presentations, data visualization, and occasional gaming. Small business workstations requiring reliable performance for productivity suites, database management, and light design work will also benefit, with the Passmark data compression score of 196712 indicating efficient handling of file archives and data processing.

Upgrade Path and Platform

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135U uses the Intel BGA 2049 socket, which means the CPU is soldered to the motherboard and not upgradeable in a traditional sense. Users should consider the CPU's performance as fixed for the life of the laptop. The system supports DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus, providing 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth, and the memory capacity is dependent on the motherboard design. The CPU provides PCIe Gen 4 with 12 lanes, while the GPU connects via PCIe 4.0 x16 interface.

The GPU's 60-watt TDP and the CPU's 15-watt TDP create a combined thermal and power envelope that requires a laptop with adequate cooling and battery capacity. The GPU's production status is listed as end-of-life, which may affect future driver support and availability, though the current driver ecosystem supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The system's memory bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s on the GPU and 89.6 GB/s on the CPU represent the data throughput limits for this configuration.

For users considering a sensible next upgrade, the primary options are increasing system memory to the motherboard's maximum capacity or upgrading storage to faster NVMe drives, supported by the PCIe Gen 4 interface. The GPU being end-of-life means future performance improvements will come primarily from driver optimizations rather than hardware changes. Users seeking higher graphics performance would need to consider a different laptop platform with a more powerful GPU, as the Arc A550M's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus represent fixed hardware limits for this configuration.

FAQ

Q: What is the combined performance ranking of this CPU and GPU pairing?

A: The combined percentile for this configuration is 81, meaning it outperforms 81 percent of the laptop configurations in the database.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 5 135U compare to the AMD Ryzen 5 7535U?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 7535U scores 22791 in average benchmark score, which is 0.8 percent higher than the Core Ultra 5 135U's score of 22618, placing the two processors in essentially the same performance tier.

Q: What is the GPU's performance relative to the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT?

A: The Intel Arc A550M scores 49737 on average, which is 2.6 percent higher than the Radeon RX 6800 XT's score of 48477, indicating the Arc A550M outperforms this AMD desktop GPU.

Q: What memory configuration does the CPU support?

A: The CPU supports DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus, providing 89.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth, with the exact memory capacity depending on the motherboard design.

Q: Does the GPU support hardware ray tracing?

A: Yes, the Arc A550M includes 16 dedicated ray tracing cores and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, enabling hardware-accelerated ray-traced effects in compatible games and applications.

Q: What is the CPU's single-thread performance in Cinebench R23?

A: The Core Ultra 5 135U scores 1563 in Cinebench R23 single-core, which contributes to its 76th percentile ranking among all CPUs and ensures responsive performance in lightly-threaded applications.

Q: What is the production status of the Intel Arc A550M GPU?

A: The GPU is listed as end-of-life production status, indicating it is no longer being manufactured for new laptop designs, though existing systems continue to receive driver support for DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.